1,000 for Smith, but Holy Cross women fall

Sunday

Jan 20, 2013 at 6:00 AM

TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

When junior guard Alex Smith hit a 3-pointer to surpass 1,000 career points, it gave the Holy Cross women’s basketball team a 26-25 lead in the latter stages of the first half Saturday, helping the Crusaders to a 39-36 lead by intermission. She also kept HC in the game with crucial 3-pointers late in the game.

But American, which rebounded from a seven-point deficit early in the second half, scored the last four points of the game after a Smith 3, outlasting Holy Cross, 67-62, at Bender Arena to leave the Crusaders winless in the Patriot League.

After taking a 43-36 lead two minutes into the second half, Holy Cross (8-10, 0-3) allowed a 10-0 run by American (10-7, 3-0) and trailed, 55-49, before its six-point run to tie it, capped by a layup from junior forward Christine Ganser (7 points).

Smith hit a 3 to tie the game at 59, then another with 1:44 left to close HC to within 63-62.

Smith finished with 18 points, after becoming the 29th HC player to pass 1,000. She’s the 11th Crusader to reach the milestone during or before her junior year, and the 76th Patriot League player to net 1,000. She went 4 of 8 from 3-point range and added four rebounds and four assists.